Read without ads and support Scribd by becoming a Scribd Premium Reader.

Language:

Download

Go BackAdd Note

Link

Embed

Save for later

The Confessions of Saint Augustine, tr. by Edward Bouverie Pusey, [1909-14], at sacred-texts.comTHE CONFESSIONS OF SAINT AUGUSTINE(401 AD)Translated by Edward Bouverie PuseyBOOK IGreat art Thou, O Lord, and greatly to be praised; great is Thy power, and Thy wisdom infinite. AndThee would man praise; man, but a particle of Thy creation; man, that bears about him hismortality, the witness of his sin, the witness that Thou resistest the proud: yet would man praiseThee; he, but a particle of Thy creation. Thou awakest us to delight in Thy praise; for Thou madestus for Thyself, and our heart is restless, until it repose in Thee. Grant me, Lord, to know andunderstand which is first, to call on Thee or to praise Thee? and, again, to know Thee or to call onThee? for who can call on Thee, not knowing Thee? for he that knoweth Thee not, may call onThee as other than Thou art. Or, is it rather, that we call on Thee that we may know Thee? buthow shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? or how shall they believe without apreacher? and they that seek the Lord shall praise Him: for they that seek shall find Him, and theythat find shall praise Him. I will seek Thee, Lord, by calling on Thee; and will call on Thee, believingin Thee; for to us hast Thou been preached. My faith, Lord, shall call on Thee, which Thou hast

given me, wherewith Thou hast inspired me, through the Incarnation of Thy Son, through theministry of the Preacher.And how shall I call upon my God, my God and Lord, since, when I call for Him, I shall be callingHim to myself? and what room is there within me, whither my God can come into me? whithercan God come into me, God who made heaven and earth? is there, indeed, O Lord my God, aughtin me that can contain Thee? do then heaven and earth, which Thou hast made, and wherein Thouhast made me, contain Thee? or, because nothing which exists could exist without Thee, doththerefore whatever exists contain Thee? Since, then, I too exist, why do I seek that Thou shouldestenter into me, who were not, wert Thou not in me? Why? because I am not gone down in hell, andyet Thou art there also. For if I go down into hell, Thou art there. I could not be then, O my God,could not be at all, wert Thou not in me; or, rather, unless I were in Thee, of whom are all things,by whom are all things, in whom are all things? Even so, Lord, even so. Whither do I call Thee,since I am in Thee? or whence canst Thou enter into me? for whither can I go beyond heaven andearth, that thence my God should come into me, who hath said, I fill the heaven and the earth.Do the heaven and earth then contain Thee, since Thou fillest them? or dost Thou fill them and yetoverflow, since they do not contain Thee? And whither, when the heaven and the earth are filled,pourest Thou forth the remainder of Thyself? or hast Thou no need that aught contain Thee, whocontainest all things, since what Thou fillest Thou fillest by containing it? for the vessels whichThou fillest uphold Thee not, since, though they were broken, Thou wert not poured out. Andwhen Thou art poured out on us, Thou art not cast down, but Thou upliftest us; Thou art notdissipated, but Thou gatherest us. But Thou who fillest all things, fillest Thou them with Thy wholeself? or, since all things cannot contain Thee wholly, do they contain part of Thee? and all at oncethe same part? or each its own part, the greater more, the smaller less? And is, then one part of Thee greater, another less? or, art Thou wholly every where, while nothing contains Thee wholly?What art Thou then, my God? what, but the Lord God? For who is Lord but the Lord? or who isGod save our God? Most highest, most good, most potent, most omnipotent; most merciful, yetmost just; most hidden, yet most present; most beautiful, yet most strong, stable, yetincomprehensible; unchangeable, yet all-changing; never new, never old; all-renewing, andbringing age upon the proud, and they know it not; ever working, ever at rest; still gathering, yetnothing lacking; supporting, filling, and overspreading; creating, nourishing, and maturing; seeking,yet having all things. Thou lovest, without passion; art jealous, without anxiety; repentest, yetgrievest not; art angry, yet serene; changest Thy works, Thy purpose unchanged; receivest againwhat Thou findest, yet didst never lose; never in need, yet rejoicing in gains; never covetous, yetexacting usury. Thou receivest over and above, that Thou mayest owe; and who hath aught that isnot Thine? Thou payest debts, owing nothing; remittest debts, losing nothing. And what had I now

said, my God, my life, my holy joy? or what saith any man when he speaks of Thee? Yet woe tohim that speaketh not, since mute are even the most eloquent. Oh! that I might repose on Thee!Oh! that Thou wouldest enter into my heart, and inebriate it, that I may forget my ills, andembrace Thee, my sole good! What art Thou to me? In Thy pity, teach me to utter it. Or what am Ito Thee that Thou demandest my love, and, if I give it not, art wroth with me, and threatenest mewith grievous woes? Is it then a slight woe to love Thee not? Oh! for Thy mercies' sake, tell me, OLord my God, what Thou art unto me. Say unto my soul, I am thy salvation. So speak, that I mayhear. Behold, Lord, my heart is before Thee; open Thou the ears thereof, and say unto my soul, Iam thy salvation. After this voice let me haste, and take hold on Thee. Hide not Thy face from me.Let me die- lest I die- only let me see Thy face.Narrow is the mansion of my soul; enlarge Thou it, that Thou mayest enter in. It is ruinous; repairThou it. It has that within which must offend Thine eyes; I confess and know it. But who shallcleanse it? or to whom should I cry, save Thee? Lord, cleanse me from my secret faults, and spareThy servant from the power of the enemy. I believe, and therefore do I speak. Lord, Thou knowest.Have I not confessed against myself my transgressions unto Thee, and Thou, my God, hast forgiventhe iniquity of my heart? I contend not in judgment with Thee, who art the truth; I fear to deceivemyself; lest mine iniquity lie unto itself. Therefore I contend not in judgment with Thee; for if Thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall abide it?Yet suffer me to speak unto Thy mercy, me, dust and ashes. Yet suffer me to speak, since I speakto Thy mercy, and not to scornful man. Thou too, perhaps, despisest me, yet wilt Thou return andhave compassion upon me. For what would I say, O Lord my God, but that I know not whence Icame into this dying life (shall I call it?) or living death. Then immediately did the comforts of Thycompassion take me up, as I heard (for I remember it not) from the parents of my flesh, out of whose substance Thou didst sometime fashion me. Thus there received me the comforts of woman's milk. For neither my mother nor my nurses stored their own breasts for me; but Thoudidst bestow the food of my infancy through them, according to Thine ordinance, whereby Thoudistributest Thy riches through the hidden springs of all things. Thou also gavest me to desire nomore than Thou gavest; and to my nurses willingly to give me what Thou gavest them. For they,with a heaven-taught affection, willingly gave me what they abounded with from Thee. For this mygood from them, was good for them. Nor, indeed, from them was it, but through them; for fromThee, O God, are all good things, and from my God is all my health. This I since learned, Thou,through these Thy gifts, within me and without, proclaiming Thyself unto me. For then I knew butto suck; to repose in what pleased, and cry at what offended my flesh; nothing more.